Ty Listens to "Let's Rock"

An album I have been waiting for for about 5 years now finally came out today. The Black Keys new record "Let's Rock" was released worldwide today. The first thing I did after I woke up and fed my kids breakfast was download the record, and I have been listening ever since. I wanted to do a kind of instant reaction to this record. I wanted to try something a little different. I usually give an album 2 or 3 listens before writing about it. But, The Black Keys are one of my all time favorite bands, and I wanted to write about the record as I heard it in its entirety the first time.

So, first reactions right off the bat, I really like the record. I'm sure I will grow to love it with more listens, but right now, I just really, really like it. It has a bit of a different feel from their previous records. That is a good thing. I have said that I appreciate when bands deviate from what made them famous and try something new. That is why I loved "Turn Blue" by them so much. It was a big departure. "Let's Rock" doesn't have that psychedelic feel that "Turn Blue" had though. "Let's Rock" reminds me a ton of Creedance Clearwater Revival, who I also love. It is a rock record through and through. There are some songs that have that wonderful distorted guitar sound I instantly fell in love with, but then it shifts into a slower rock song. That surprised me in a good way. I listened to the three song EP they put out a few months ago, with the songs "Go", "Hi/Lo" and "Eagle Birds", and I loved all of those. But, they were straight up rock songs. There are some songs on this record that are way different, and I bet when I see them live in a few months my appreciation with grow tenfold.

The opening track "Shine a Little Light" starts off super hot, with a great guitar riff and drum groove, and then it slows down to an almost ballad. It is jarring at first, but as the song moves, it gets better and better. "Tell Me Lies" is one of their slower songs, but I like when they do stuff like that. I like when they slow it down and go a bit away from their comfort zone. "Fire Walk With Me" is a great closer to this record as well, I just finished my first go through. It wraps up the record perfectly. I'm going to keep listening because that is what I do, especially with Black Keys records. I want to get a real feel for it.

The second go round has just started for me, and I am already super in to it. Even more so than the first time, which is a good sign. I keep bobbing my head with all the new songs that I am hearing. Look, I was predestined to like this record. I love this band. I have been a fan since I first saw them on an MTV2 awards show back in 2002. I have followed them ever since. When I see them in a few months that will make, I believe, the tenth time I have seen them live. The Black Keys are a great band. I'm actually shocked they aren't more famous, because they are so god damn good at what they do.

First reactions? "Let's Rock" is a good mix of their old sound, and a new thing they are trying. I love that they keep adding something new to their sound with each new album. That shows growth. They have never gotten stale. Keep up the good work gentleman, and I cannot wait to hear these new songs live.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He likes to bob his head around to let his kids know how rock music should be. Up and down is a “yes, do not stop rocking”. Back and forth is “no, do not ever stop rocking”.

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Time for a Dad Hat

I have made no bones about how much I love being a dad, and a stay at home parent on this site, and on our pod. It is the best job in the world, I get to dress however in the hell I want, I don't mind the stares, or the "it is so nice of you to give mom a day off" comments, I love being there for major milestones, it is amazing. But, there are some things that I have successfully been able to avoid that are cliché dad things.

What stuff? Things like mowing the lawn and admiring it. Sure, I mow the lawn, but it is more for the workout than looking at a freshly shorn lawn. I like to grill, but I do not consider myself an expert griller, I don't have my own tongs, and I ask for help from anyone willing to give advice. I used to wear cargo shorts, back in my high school days, but I have not since revisited that in my years as a dad. I actually wear Columbia all weather type shorts now. They're great, and I love that they have built in netting so I can swim in them, and then continue my day without having to switch to cargo shorts. I also don't have too much to carry around anymore, just my keys, wallet and phone. So, I don't need cargo shorts. I am very proud to say that I have never, nor will I ever, wear New Balance shoes. Look, my dad wears them, I'm sure one, if not all three, of my brothers wear them (ed note: Hell no I do not wear New Balance), and I know that I have at home dad friends that wear them as well. I just don't like them on a personal level. I think they look too bulky, the few pairs I have tried on were very uncomfortable, they have no flash and I don't think they are as good a running shoe as some would like me to believe. I'm an Altra man as I stated awhile back.

But, I did finally cave to a dad trope yesterday. One I have actually avoided for a bit now, but I finally gave in, and I have to say, I love it.

I got my first "dad hat". For those that may not know, a "dad hat" is made of a material akin to a cotton shirt, they are distressed, they have an open back, but it is not a snapback, and you really only see dad's, or people that look like dad's, wearing them. I almost bought one at a Run the Jewels show a few years back, but I hesitated. I wish I hadn't, because that hat was dope as hell. But, now that I am a Suns fan I decided that I needed some team gear. I went on Amazon, found a great deal on a Suns hat, and it just happened to be a "dad hat". I bought it, and waited for it to arrive. It got here yesterday, and I immediately put it on my head and was astounding at how much I liked the feel and fit. It was just perfect. I love the distressed feel. It feels like I have worn it for awhile. It didn't need the breaking in that a snap back or fitted hat needs. The back was way, way better than I expected. I am a fitted hat fan way more than snapback, so this was my biggest concern. But to have the material be the same as the hat, unlike a snapback that is plastic, is great. You don't feel it push into the back of your head like a snap back. The bill was already bent like I like it, so that was another plus. And the look, I love. It fits almost too good. I have not taken it off since I got it, except when I eat meals, or go to bed. I even wore it backwards a ton yesterday and today, and that is great. I used to wear hats backwards a lot when I was a kid, but as I get older, I am more prone to wear my hat forward. But with the "dad hat", wearing it backwards was great. It has a good look. The slouch makes it look fine, at least to me. It was awesome.

So, while I have denied, and will continue to deny, that I am getting older, and turning more and more into a father everyday, including "dad hat's" and dad jokes now, I have to say that this is one thing I am happy to take on as a dad and older guy now. "Dad hat's" rule, and if you are older and on the fence about buying one, don't. You will love it. I know I love mine.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Up next for Ty’s dad life? How about a copy of Sports by Huey Lewis and the News?

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Jimmy Butler to the Rockets is a Terrible Idea

With NBA free agency on the cusp, it starts on Sunday, I have heard a ton of rumors about a ton of players. I don't know what is real, what is a smoke screen, and where these guys are going, but I'm excited to see all the player movement that is going to happen this summer. RD and I just did a pod about this, and I feel like you can hear my excitement.

One story that I read last night left me shaking my head. I wanted to believe that it wasn't real because it is so asinine that I couldn't believe it. Then a bunch of other reputable reporters came out and confirmed the news too. That news you ask, the Houston Rockets are going to actively pursue Jimmy Butler in a sign and trade as soon as free agency starts.

The whole sign and trade is now a big part of the free agency period, and some big moves have come this way. But, I am at a loss as to why a team like the Rockets, what with all the offseason turmoil, be that true or false, would want to pursue another ball dominant, head strong player. Butler also plays a totally different style of basketball than Mike D'Antoni coaches, and the Rockets have built a roster around.

As I read the story even further, I looked at some of the players that have been named as to who the 76ers would want for Butler, if this were to happen. Names like Eric Gordon, PJ Tucker, and most shockingly to me, Clint Capela, have come up as the names that the 76ers want, and who the Rockets would be willing to give up to get him. I know that earlier this summer Daryl Morey, who is a blowhard and wildly, wildly overrated in my opinion, said that every player on the team is on the trading block. But, to give up on guys like Gordon, Tucker and Capela is nuts. These three guys fit perfectly with what the Rockets do, but they are willing to offload them for a guy, while being a really, really, really good basketball player, may think a little to high of himself. Sure, he torched the Timberwolves other starters while he was there, but come on. Butler is good, but he is not worth completely changing your style, and giving up players that fit with James Harden so well. I mean, Eric Gordon is an elite knock down three point shooter. Without him, the Rockets would have lost the Warriors series in a sweep. He seemed to hit the big shots that they needed to keep leads, or build leads, in the 2 games they won. PJ Tucker is the best defensive player they have, and he is a better three point shooter than Jimmy Butler right now. Yes, Butler is a better defender, but he can't guard big guys like Tucker can. And Tucker, like I just said, can hit the corner three with great precision. I don't think he missed during the series against the Warriors. And Capela, while free throw shooting is a problem, and he was kind of played off the floor in the most recent playoffs, he is still so young and so talented. He is one of the better rim runners in the league, and he can be, if he is locked in, a defensive force against modern centers. Also, he still has time to develop a three point shot. I am a big, big fan of Capela's.

So, to give up on 1, 2 or all 3 of these guys for Butler makes no sense, as far as the Rockets are concerned, to me. Adding Butler to a roster that has James Harden and Chris Paul is only going to cause more problems. If you believe the reports, Paul and Harden despise one another. Paul doesn't think Harden has the drive of a champion, and Harden thinks Paul is old and not as good anymore. Both are right, but they need each other to win, or even compete, for a title. Add Butler to this mix. and I just don't know, or think, that this works out at all. Butler for one is not a three point shooter. He attacks the rim, but he is a mid range guy. The Rockets don't want anyone shooting mid range shots. They want threes, layups and free throws. That is not Butler's game. He would also be the only guy willing and capable to play defense on this roster after the trade, where it to occur. I also think he would get fed up with standing in the corner and watching Harden pound the ball for 20 seconds and shoot a three, or try to draw a foul. That is miserable to watch, and I feel like it would be even worse to be a player relegated to watching one guy run the offense. I also think he and Paul would gang up on Harden by the midway point of the year, and that would be awful. Harden is younger, and much more talented on the offensive end, than both of them combined. But I feel like they would try and ice him out. That is the worst case scenario for the Rockets.

This move makes zero sense to me. I don't like the Rockets, and I think it would be hilarious to see them self implode. But, they have a real shot with the current roster construct to win the title this upcoming season because of the Warriors injuries. I'd love the move for Philadelphia, but I think the Rockets should look in the mirror, I'm talking mainly to you Daryl Morey, and realize they don't need to add another toxic, alpha male to a roster that already has 2 of them. That would be a mistake.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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Ty Listens to " Dancing on the Wind"

A couple of weeks ago The Sloppy Boys, Mike Hanford, Tim Kalpakis and Jefferson Dutton, all from The Birthday Boys, and several written comedy shows, released their second album, "Dancing on the Wind". They did the podcast go round to promote the record, and played some live songs while appearing on the pods I listen to. I was a fan of their first album, and I figured, with a little extra work, and touring they did, the second record would be even better.

I was right. I adore this album. I can put it on at any time of day and it will bring a smile to my face, and I will happily sing along to the songs. I love how solid they all are as musicians, and the fact that they are good at comedy, it makes the lyrics to the song so much more enjoyable for me. None of these guys had to do much to win me over, I watched both seasons of Birthday Boys on IFC, and have followed their comedy careers since, and Mike Hanford as John Lennon is one of the best comedy bits that I hope never ends. But, on "Dancing on the Wind", they made me like them that much more.

The record starts out great with "Santa Ana Winds". It is a straight forward, some may say pop, some may say punk, song that is as funny as it is good. The music is solid, the lyrics are hilarious, especially when they talk about drying off a body part with a Dyson blade, and the song is a tight 2 minutes and 40 seconds. You get the feel right off the bat that The Sloppy Boys knew exactly what they wanted to do with this record, and "Santa Ana Winds" is a great jumping off point. The second song, "Lifeguard Life", is not only my son's favorite song, but he cracks up every time he hears it. It is about as perfect as a summer guitar surfer song can get. Mike Hanford nails the lyrics, and the instrumentation behind it is wonderful. From there on out, this record has some solid hits. One of my favorites, and my wife's for that matter, is "I'm Taken". We have both asked each other, on separate occasions, what Kalpakis' wife must think of this song. I think she loves it, my wife seems to think that she thinks it is hilarious. It is a great song either way. "Give it Up" is awesome. I like that they use distorted guitars, and the song has a build to the chorus that always gets me. When they finally reach it, I am fully on board. "Radio Dayze" is ridiculous and hilarious and perfect for someone my age. Hanford sings the song about all the "good" music he used to listen to on the radio, and he name checks people and bands like Master P, Avril Lavinge, Train, Limp Bizkit and Incubus, among many others. It is a riot. "East Coast Wedding" and "Smashing the Plates" have similar tones, and they are both about messing stuff up. They both rule as well. "The Bands" is a riot. I love "Slop Head", and have taken to calling myself one, and my wife called me one the other day when I put this album on in the car. But my favorite song on the whole record is "Classic New York Night". It might be their longest song to date, but it is awesome. It has that build up that I mentioned before, but it actually makes me want to visit New York City, something I never thought was possible. They make it sound so damn cool. And I now know that "no trains go to Staten Island", from my many listens to the song.

This whole album is really good, and totally worth a listen. If you know of these guys, or are familiar with their work, you will love this record. But, I played it for a buddy of mine who listens to punk rock, and who had no idea who these guys were, and he loved it. He told me that fact the other day. Go check out "Dancing on the Wind" by The Sloppy Boys. It is pure summer music, it is funny, it is fun, but above all else, it is really good.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Much like Homer, Ty does not want to go to New York City due to the problems with pimps and C.H.U.D.S.

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Let's Talk About the Great Entertainment on My Vacation

I wanted to talk about my vacation for the entire week when I got back on my blog, but other stuff kept popping up that I needed to write about. I did write about three things I really loved on my trip, and today, I am going to talk about the fourth, and final, thing I wanted to write about. I have mentioned the food, the resort and my wonderful dolphin swimming adventure, and today, I want to talk about the entertainment that Secrets Capri offered its guests every night, and during the afternoon.

So, in the afternoon, usually after lunch time, they had some kind of live music. One day they had a band that sang pop hits ranging from the 90's to now. When this band played, my wife told me that it was the best live show she had ever been to. They were playing music she loved, she was in a pool and she was getting served free drinks. This comment made sense to me. And while I have seen much, much better live shows, this was definitely fun. After that band played, a guy drummed along to EDM music for about an hour, and he was pretty good. We also saw other live music during the afternoon. One day there was a couple of dudes, with long hair, that played what one might consider beach songs acoustically. They were relaxing and enjoyable. Another day there was a gentleman playing solo guitar to modern songs. He was tremendous.

There was also some kind of activity in, or around the pool and beach everyday. I did water aerobics one day, we had a staying on a surfboard contest, there was pickleball everyday, soccer matches, dance contests, all kinds of cool stuff to check out while hanging at the pool. They also offered stuff like snorkeling, parasailing, kayaking and jet skis. But, I preferred the live entertainment, and the pool games. The staff that ran the pool activities was phenomenal as well. They were fun, but also gave us a solid workout. It was a nice way to get some exercise, but also have a ton of fun.

At night, the entertainment got even better. Again, they had a special thing for every night that we were there. One night they had a showing of "Bohemian Rhapsody" on a big inflatable screen. While I didn't think the movie was that good, I did love the music I have to say, it was cool to watch it on a big screen right by the beach at night time. They also gave us free movie snacks. Another night they had a magician. We didn't go to this show, but talked to other people, and they said it was a good show. The last night we were there they had an entire show dedicated to the history of Mexico, mainly talking about the Aztecs. This was awesome. They did live music, they told a story and they had people interpreting their words through movement. It was really neat while also being informative. The actors they had were really good too. The costumes were top notch as well.

But, the best thing I saw while we were there was the Beatles cover band they had. The band was great. I have seen more than enough Beatles cover bands, I play Beatles music myself, but this band was really solid. They sounded great, and the guitar player was excellent. They did, at times, sound like the Beatles, especially when they played stuff off "Sargent Peppers". They also had a Cirque de Soleil show going on while the band played, and that was a delight. To see the things these performers could do with rings and bars and their body movement, I was amazed. It was one of the coolest, and most unique things I have ever seen in a Beatles cover show. It was so good.

This whole trip was amazing, and I wanted to let you all in as much as I could with my recollection of everything. Again, I highly recommend checking out Secrets Capri if you can. It has everything you could want, and it is all top of the line.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Right now for his summer vacation Ty is soaking up the history and culture of west St. Louis County. Most of those shows take place at the little league ball fields.

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Marc Maron Playing a Small Club is Comedy Bliss

Last week I got to see Marc Maron do live stand up for the second time, and he was awesome. As I said the first time I saw him, the guy is an absolute pro. He knows how to do his job, and do it at a very high level.

He played Helium here in Saint Louis, which is a smaller club, and that kind of shocked me. He even said during his set that he usually plays theaters, which got a big laugh, but I loved seeing him in a smaller room. The last time he was in Saint Louis he played The Firebird which is a rock venue. This time he went the club route, and he picked the best one we have in Saint Louis. Helium is great, and it was a filled room last Friday. And, as I said, he crushed. I was in stiches the whole time. My buddy and I went to the early show last Friday, and it was great. The whole club was packed. We got there about 10 minutes early, and we had to sit on the side of the club, next to the kitchen, because every other seat was already filled. One thing I was super stoked about, as we were walking in to get tickets, Marc Maron was out by the booth, saw us, and told us to "come on in". I was in shock. Maron is a big time star, at least in my eyes, and he acknowledge me and my buddy. This was big for me. After we got our tickets, my buddy and I talked about him talking to us. It was great.

The show started right on time, and his opener, I cannot for the life of me remember her name, was great. She had this soft voice, but her jokes pack a loud punch. The stuff about her boyfriend was awesome. The sneezing bit was great. She was a solid comedian, and she felt like a perfect opener for Maron. Maron then came out right after her and started with a bang. He mocked Missouri because we are a backwards ass state when it comes to politics, and that won over the crowd right away. He meant no disrespect, and he is right. As far as politics go, Missouri stinks. And that is one thing you should expect when you go to a Marc Maron stand up set. He is a political guy, he leans to the left, and he will let it be known. And the crowd was all the same. I have called myself a super liberal. My buddy is a democrat. The majority of the crowd, if not all of us, are democrats, and are just as terrified at the current state of the government as Marc Maron is. We just can't make it laugh out loud funny like he does. I won't spoil it, but his ending bit about Pence was pure gold. If you have a chance to see him on this tour, go because he rules, but also go for this bit. It is amazing.

Outside of the political stuff, he told some great, and hilarious, stories. The stuff about taking vitamins as you get older was tremendous. The stuff about his old life in comedy clubs was perfect. The tea bit was outstanding. But my favorite was the anti vaccine idiots. It was so well crafted, and the story was so well told, while also being absolutely funny. It was such a good way to deal with these morons. To call them out, and their lack of science. I was proud and cracking up. It was great.

Marc Maron is so good at pretty much everything he does. I love that he still goes on tour and plays small clubs. It is the best way to see him. He is now, well he always has been, a must see when he is on tour and he comes to Saint Louis. Please, if you like stand up, and you want to see one of the best, go see Marc Maron. He is so good, and I hope he comes back to Saint Louis soon. Maron rules.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is an advocate to let St. Louis separate from the rest of Missouri. It’s not like anyone in St. Louis says they are from Missouri anyways.

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Ty's 2019 Mock NBA Draft

Tonight is the NBA draft. I love the NBA draft. I used to watch all the picks when I was a kid, and even through my first few years of college. I still, to this day, follow every pick on my phone on one of my sports apps. I, for some unknown reason, am enamored by where the top players get drafted.

For example, I  was a stunned as everyone oelse when the Cavs took Anthony Bennett first overall. I was rooting hard for guys like Hasheem Thabeet and Brandon Jennings were lottery picks. I'll never forget that I fought hard that the Bucks won the trade that sent Dirk Nowitzki to the Mavericks for Robert "Tractor" Traylor. I vividly remember thinking the Vancouver Grizzlies totally blew it when they selected Bryant Reeves in the top three. My exact words were, "don't take that country fed white boy". Needless to say, the NBA draft, and only the NBA draft, has played a big part in ,y sports fandom. I also love the pageantry that goes into the whole night. I also like how fast paced it is. It is fun. For something so ridiculous, I love it. So, much like I did with the NFL draft in April, I will be ranking my top 10 prospects, and give you 5 guys that I think will not live up to the hype. I'm not going to do a mock draft because that is an exercise in futility. It is like picking the perfect March Madness bracket. No one has ever gotten even close to 90 percent of the draft correct. I like doing the top 10 and not so top 5 instead. I will also do in descending order. Alright, lets get started.

My number 10 player is PJ Washington from Kentucky. He is big, physical, can shoot, and will get better in the NBA, and he is one of the few Kentucky guys that benefited from coming back for another season. That made his draft stock soar. I feel like he will be a better version of David West, who was a multiple All Star. Washington is legit.

At number 9 I have Darius Garland. I know a ton of people have him much higher, and I am falling in that "potential" trap, but this kid was amazing in high school, and his 4 games at Vanderbilt were pretty good. He reminds me so much of Damian Lillard. He can shoot from anywhere on the floor. You have to guard him. He is also a good passer with a high IQ. The only knock, and why I have him at 9 and not 4, is the fact that he tore an Achilles, and only played 4 games. He has so much potential, but he will have to prove that he was not just a high school wunderkind. He has a whole lot to prove.

At number 8 I have Brandon Clarke from Gonzaga. I think I might be higher on him than any of the other "draft experts". You all know I love older college players. I pushed for Buddy Hield to be the number one pick in his draft. Well Clarke was a transfer from SDSU, refined his jumper and became a solid all around player while at Gonzaga. He was the best player on a team that spent a good amount at the top of the rankings last year. He will also understand that he has a role to play. He doesn't need the ball all the time. He doesn't have to score. He doesn't need to be flashy. He is the exact player that every team should want. He is going to be so good, and I think, because I believe he will slide past the lottery, that we will all look back in 3 or 4 years and think, damn Brandon Clarke is a good professional basketball player.

At number 7 I have Coby White. This kid is a flash of lightening, can shoot the three and plays like a traditional point guard. He is like Russell Westbrook, except his is a much more willing passer. He had a great ACC and NCAA tournament, and has been apparently lights out in private workouts. I also love his afro. Coby White is going to be good, but he has potential to be great. If he could land with Phoenix or Chicago, that would be best. Coby White is good.

At number 6 I have Jaxson Hayes from Texas. You cannot teach height, and this kid has a ton of it. He also proved to be a solid rim protector and rebounder in his one year in college. He can also score in the post, and shoot a little from the outside. But, he is very raw and young. It will take time, but I see him as being a better pro than John Collins, who I think is already pretty good. Hayes willingness to defend will keep him on the court as a rookie, and from there on out, he will only get better with coaching. I feel like he is the best traditional big in the draft.

At number 5 I have Nassir Little from UNC. Hear me out. I know he did not live up to the recruiting hype in college, but this kid is freakishly athletic, and if you want to take a chance, and hit a grand slam in the mid to late lottery, I wouldn't hesitate for one second in taking Little. He is the type of player, given the proper coaching, could turn out to be a star. Remember when Dwayne Wade went 10th overall? Or when Rashard Lewis didn't get picked until round 2? I feel like Little has that type of star potential if he is put in the right position.

At number 4 I have Little's teammate, Cam Johnson. Again, I know this is much higher than most have him, but the kid can shoot threes at a high clip, and isn't that what you want from a 6'7 guard in the modern NBA? He could very well be the next Klay. He has the ability to be that good of a shooter. He was lights out in college, and I can see that easily projecting to the NBA. If he gets picked by a team like Sacramento or Cleveland, I think they'd be delighted to have a knock down shooter from outside.

At number 3 I have a tie between Jarrett Culver and Deandre Hunter. Maybe this is unfair, or I should have done a top 11, but I don't care. After watching these 2 face off in the title game, I loved both of their games. Culver may not have had the best shooting game, but he can get to the rim, and he can shoot the jumper. He can also get to the line. And his defense is legit. He is such a good defender. Again, if you can defend, you can stay on the floor and learn the rest of the game. Culver will be  longtime pro. Hunter is almost as good a defender, and he can hit the open shot. He made so many big time threes in the biggest game of his college career. He was the reason Virginia won the title. That game, even though I already loved him before, put him over the edge for me. I have so much faith in Hunter and his ability to become not just a good pro, but an All Star.

At number 2 I have Zion Williamson. Again, here me out. Zion is one of the best athletic talents I have ever watched in the college game. He has thunderous dunks, which I love, and he plays hard defense. He is going to single handily going to save the New Orleans franchise. My only questions are, will he get into better shape because he will not be able to over power pros, and can he develop a shot. I think he can do both, but I keep going back to these 2 things when I think about the draft. I know he will be the top pick, and he will sell tickets, and I think he will be good, I just don't see him as the top player in this draft.

My top player, coming in at number one, is Ja Morant. I love this kid. I love his motor. I love his dunking ability. I love his relentless will to get to the rim. I love that he made his jumper more consistently this year. I love that he is a willing passer. I love that we got to see him, the national we that is, in the tournament this year. I love that he is a small school kid. I do not dislike anything about Morant. I have zero doubts that he will be an absolute star, and I love that Memphis is going to take him because they are the closest professional basketball team to me, and I can watch him play a ton next year. Morant is my guy. He is legit.

Now lets get to the guys that I don't think will be as good as projected.

At number 5 I have Rui Hachimura. Now, I like Hachimura, I just think he should have gone back to school for one more year to really hone his skills. He tested the waters last year, but came back to improve. But, he didn't really improve on the things I was hoping he would improve on. Sure, he is an okay rebounder, and can score in the post. But, his jumper is weak, he got exposed on defense, and the fact that Clarke surpassed him as the guy shows me that he needs more work. I hope I'm wrong on Hachimura, but I don't see it with him.

At number 4 I have Bol Bol. I know he has plummeted down draft boards, but I feel like that is for dumb reasons like, he has outside hobbies. So what? That shouldn't matter. But what worries me about him is the injury he sustained this year, and his frail upper body. He is so tall, but he is rail thin. Guys like Draymond Green or Serge Ibaka or Marc Gasol are going to destroy him when he is defending them, and they aren't even the best of the best. Bol is about as raw as they get in this draft.

At number 3 I have Romeo Langford. This kid was supposed to be the savior in Indiana, and they stunk this year. I watched him get bullied by Michigan this year. He couldn't do anything until the game was already decided. He needs a ton of work and time. He is not a lottery pick, and at time during the college season, he looked a step slow and confused. I think whoever takes him, especially if he goes in the lottery, is going to be upset when they trade or cut him in two years.

At number 2 I have Cam Reddish. If Little didn't live up to the hype, Reddish was a total "one and one" bust. He flat out disappeared at times during this past season. I forgot he was on Duke. I then forgot that he was the top recruit on that team. He is nothing more than potential. He didn't show me anything that jumped off the screen when I watched him play last year. He was non existent during the season, and in the tournament, when he could've really made a name for himself, he did nothing. I cannot believe this kid is a surefire lottery pick.

And my number one guy that I have no faith in is RJ Barrett. Yes, I understand he will be a very high lottery pick, but come on, how is he not a very, very, very poor man's Kobe Bryant? He has serious tunnel vision and only looks to score. There were times, and I loathe Duke basketball, where I would yell at him to pass the ball to Zion. He just puts his head down and tries to score. His jumper is also wack as hell. It is broken. He may have averaged 4 assists a game, but that was pure luck, or leak out passes to Zion for a dunk. It was a very hollow 4 assists. Barrett is going to go to New York, and he and Dennis Smith Jr will be fighting over shots all season, and the Knicks will win 15 games again. I just cannot get on the bandwagon for this kid. He is too self focused for me. I don't see it.

Okay, there is my "expert" opinion on 15 players that will get picked tonight. We will have to wait a couple of years to see if I was right. But, I am very excited to see where everyone gets picked, and I will have my eyes on the three Wolverines in the draft tonight. Yeah, the NBA draft is here. Get pumped people.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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"The Room" Being Introduced by Tommy Wiseau. Need I say More?

I went to see "The Room" at midnight this past Saturday here in Saint Louis. This is my second time going to see this movie for a midnight showing. I wrote about the first time, and how fun and special that night was. The reason I went this second time was made so much more special because the man, the myth, the legend that is Tommy Wiseau was there in person.

The moment I saw that Wiseau was going on this "Love is Blind" tour with "The Room", and that is was coming through Saint Louis, I knew I was going. I texted my buddy that I watched it with the first time, and I told him I was getting us tickets. He was on board. So, I waited with anticipation from the moment I printed my tickets all the way up to the actual date. I read all the Facebook and Tivoli movie theater messages, telling me about the event and how to get prepared for the night. I found it oddly hilarious that they would send multiple messages about "Tommy's mood", and "sometimes you have to buy stuff to get a picture", and "he may or may not be there after he introduces the movie". Tommy Wiseau is a very odd man, and these messages just added to weirdness that was going to ensue.

My buddy and I arrived at the theater an hour early, as suggested, and we quickly found out that we would be waiting for awhile, and that the movie was definitely not going to be starting right at midnight. We were around the middle of the line, and it was moving at a snails pace. People would stop and take pictures of the poster, pose for pictures with him, buy merchandise and spend way, way too much time with him while getting their personal pictures. It was actually kind of frustrating waiting in line that long. But, I chalk that up to the fact that we weren't going to buy anything, and that I had planned on just snapping a few shots when he introduced the movie, which I did. But, I also don't totally blame Wiseau and his people for this, I also blame the theater for being unprepared for the crowd, which was odd considering this was the second night. I even contemplated leaving early because I realized that I am getting way too old to be out that late, and I was very, very tired just driving there. I am officially an old man. But, we stuck it out, the theater saved it by saying the movie would start no later than 1:15.

The reason for the delay was the crowd, getting everyone in and in seats and Tommy Wiseau doing his intro and taking questions. But the Q and A was where it really picked up. Tommy came on stage, after they showed a preview of his new movie "Big Shark", and he was a delight. He is such a weird dude, but he was funny, condescending in a delightful way and very open with his answers. I was cracking up at his response to some of the questions. He even went on a Steven Spielberg tangent that was at times preposterous and hilarious. He was also wearing 5 belts, one draped around his neck, sunglasses and, for some reason, yellow working gloves. It was quite the look. But when I look back at it, after finally catching up on sleep, it was exactly what I wanted to see, and what I expected. That 15 minute intro was more than worth the cost of admission. It, for real, saved the night for me. They started the movie, right at 1:15, and it was just like the first time, only this time, the theater was sold out. The mocking was great. The chanting was dope. The comments were perfect. The spoon throwing was epic. It was so, so much fun. By the middle of the movie, I stopped looking at my watch and just enjoyed myself.

This is the exact way “The Room” should be watched. To see it in a sold out theater, with like minded people, was exquisite. I'm so glad we stuck it out and stayed for the entire event. It was a blast, and a night that I won't soon forget for a myriad of reasons. If you have a chance to see a midnight showing of this movie do it. And, if Tommy Wiseau is going to be there, make sure you go. It is well worth your time.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is onboard to see “The Room” again if we can have James Franco as Tommy Wiseau to introduce the movie.

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Do Not Fear, the Warriors Will Still Be Good Next Year

Last week I heaped praise on the Raptors, which was much deserved and expected. Then yesterday I talked about my feelings involving the Anthony Davis trade. Today I want to take a little bit of a deep dive into what I think the Warriors will look like next year and beyond.

What the Warriors definitely have is Steph Curry, and he is a very, very good basketball player. They also have Steve Kerr who has proven to be a very good coach. Sure, he has been gifted with some of the best NBA players ever, but you still have to coach those guys, and he has won three titles with them. They also have Draymond back for one more season, at least, and when engaged, he is a great defender, the key to running their offense, and plays super hard. By all accounts, Klay Thompson, especially if you listen to his dad, is coming back, although he is going to miss a solid portion of next season after tearing his ACL.

After that, it gets kind of murky. Kevon Looney made himself look like a solid free agent this offseason after his playoff performance. He may opt to leave for more money and playing time. Both Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala are near, if not already there, the end of their careers. Livingston more so than Iguodala. Jordan Bell is still there, and on a rookie contract, but he really regressed this season. Andrew Bogut will most likely retire again and head back to Australia. Alfonzo McKinnie showed flashes, but he needs some work before he is a solid starter. Quinn Cook is an okay shooter, and he has been in the Warriors system since getting in the NBA, but he is not the type of player that will be a starter on a title contending team.

And then we have the whole KD situation.

Who knows what is going to happen with that. First off, he will not play at all in 2020, and not until later in 2021. He ruptured his Achilles. That is going to take awhile before he is even ready to get back on the court to even shoot a ball. Then, all the rehab after that and then he has to get back into playing shape. He has a long recovery ahead of him. Also, he may not, I don't think he will, resign with the Warriors. I still believe he is going to the Knicks. (Sorry if that gets your hopes up RD) I think they do not care that he will miss a year because they can get another high pick next year which they can flip, or take a top prospect to pair with KD. I also think the Warriors have mentally moved on from KD. All year they have heard he was leaving, he hasn't said otherwise, and I think his time is done in Oakland. I believe he will sign with the Knicks, and this will open up some cap space for Golden State to help build around Steph, Draymond and Klay, when he comes back.

This is where it gets interesting for me. I don't think any top free agents will come there for awhile now. I feel like the top guys want to pull a Kawhi and beat them. So I think guys like Jimmy Butler, the aforementioned Kwahi, Chris Paul, basically any top guy on the market is off limits to them. But, I think they can get "lower" tier guys. I wouldn't be shocked if Kemba Walker at least thinks about signing there. I think Tobias Harris would be an ideal fit next to Steph and Draymond next season. I think they could lure shooters like JJ Redick to come play for them. I'd love to see them try and sign a point guard like Patrick Beverly, to help take the load off Steph on defense. I think they can go out and get guys like that, and still be competitive.

The Warriors will not be the top team in the West next season. That much is certain. The Lakers, as much as it pains me, will be good. Denver will be better. Portland is always good. OKC has something to prove. Utah, while having trash fans, will be much better. The West is still loaded, and the Warriors will finally be on the other side, struggling for playoff position. But, for the people saying that they won't be in the playoffs, and that they're done, I disagree. This franchise is too well run, even though they completely screwed over KD, to fall off a cliff. Also, as I have mentioned many times, they still have Steph, Draymond and Kerr. There is still a very solid foundation there. While all looks lost to those on the outside, I think the Warriors will still manage to win 48-52 games, and when Klay gets back to full health, I think they will be back to being a top 4 seed.

The point is that the Warriors will still be good, just not as good as they have been for the past 5 years.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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There Are A Lot of Winners in the Anthony Davis Trade

The Lakers finally landed Anthony Davis. After a trade demand midway through this past season, an openly flirtation with the Lakers, tampering beyond belief, Rich Paul basically getting 2 guys fired, and the Lakers offering up the majority of their young talent, the trade finally happened. Well, technically it isn't official yet, we have to wait until early July. But, both parties have an agreement that Davis will be a Laker, and the Pelicans will get Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and 3 future first round picks, including the number 4 pick in this Thursday's draft.

To me, I feel like both teams got what they wanted. If you were to tell me I had to pick a "winner" of this trade though, I would say New Orleans won, and they won it by a mile. Yes, they have to give up Davis, who when healthy is a top 3 player in the league, and pairing him with LeBron, albeit at age 35, they will make a very formidable front court. But, the Lakers had to mortgage their future for what may only be 2 years of top notch basketball. LeBron is getting older, that is just a fact. He also missed the most time of his career due to injury last year. He also looked a step slower, and his jumper, while never good, was not effective at all last year. But Davis is awesome and young. He is a force on defense, he can rebound with the best of them, his jump shot is much improved, and when engaged, or not hurt, he is nearly unstoppable. He will also be out to prove something next year.

But, unless the Lakers can get another top level guy to come over on a deal worth much less than they expect, their roster is decimated. I saw a snapshot of the roster now, and outside of LeBron and Davis, it is bleak. They were able to keep Kyle Kuzma, who was, for some unknown reason, almost the guy who was the make or break player in this deal. Sure, he is a good scorer, and he can kind of hit threes, but he is a big minus on defense, and he will now have to be the third or fourth option. I don't know if he will like that. All the guys he came in the league with too, and had befriended, they are gone. He is the lone young player on the Lakers now. They we have guys like Mo Wagner, who can't rebound or play defense, Rajon Rondo, who is about a million years old, Lance Stephenson. who should have been out of the league 2 years ago, Issac Bonga, who I know zero about, Tyson Chandler, who is older than Rondo and Alex Caruso, who looks like the dude you hate to play in your local rec league. Dare I say, the Lakers bench is worse than the Warriors bench right now. Again, this can change if they get a Kyrie Irving or Kemba Walker or Jimmy Butler, but I don't see that happening. But, kudos to LeBron, Rich Paul and Anthony Davis, you whined your way to a trade to the Lakers, even if it meant destroying your future. It is now more clear than ever who runs the Lakers.

On the other hand, the Pelicans absolutely crushed this deal. They traded away a disgruntled player for 3 young guys that have certain skills they need, and first round picks for three years. They have the number one and number 4 pick in the upcoming draft. And lets say the Lakers have solid seasons the next 2 years, they will still get their pick, plus a second first rounder in the next 2 drafts. That is some Danny Ainge dealing KG and Paul Pierce to the Nets type shit. This is a homerun of a deal. I know Jrue Holiday was upset when Davis asked out, but if I were him now, I would be very excited for the future of the team. He is still there, and he is an underrated guy, plus he has all this young talent coming to play on his team. The Pelicans don't have to immediately blow it up and rebuild now. Holiday can slide over to the 2, and Ball can be the point. While I have been very tough on Ball as a player, he is a good point guard. He has great court vision, is a willing passer and plays solid defense. His shot is pure trash, but he won't need to shoot too much on this team. This may be the best thing for him too, getting himself and his dad out of LA. I still think very highly of Brandon Ingram. He is one Duke guy that I actually like. He also started to show flashes last season of what he can do. He is a long and lanky shooter. He can also get to the rim very quickly. His long stride is very good for the fast break. I bet of all the players traded yesterday he is the happiest. He looked miserable playing next to LeBron last year. Now he has a fresh start, and he will be one of the go to guys in New Orleans. Josh Hart was one of the few young guys that LeBron counted on last year. That shows maturity to me. The fact that he was willing to do what was best for the team is a trait I love in professional players. By the way, he can shoot and play defense as well. Hart will step in right away and be a solid contributor, do the little things asked of him, and I bet he will become an instant fan favorite. The Pelicans, who own the first pick, are going to take Zion on Thursday. That is the type of star power they need to replace Davis. Zion is not Davis, not yet at least, but he might be the best prospect since Davis. This kid is an amazing leaper with good passing skills and a willingness to play defense and be coached. He may not have been happy when New Orleans won the draft lottery, but if I were him now, I'd be stoked looking at this current team he's about to be on. The combo of him and Ball, especially on fast breaks, is going to be awesome. Zion will also get Ingram and Hart plenty of open looks. He will help out Holiday a ton. This is as about a perfect situation as a rookie can get. And with the fourth pick, they can go strictly based on need, and get a pretty talented player. I don't think they will get Ja Morant or RJ Barrett, and I don't see them taking a point guard like Darius Garland or Coby White due to who they acquired in the trade. But that means they can look at a guy like Jaxson Hayes, the big center from Texas. Or they can check in on DeAndre Hunter, a solid shooting 3 or 4 who plays defense. Jarrett Culver could be another option for them as a solid backup to Holiday. Brandon Clarke could be on their radar now. They can look at some overseas talent. They have, pretty much, endless options for the upcoming draft.

This was the homerun the Pelicans wanted to get with this Davis deal, and they absolutely knocked it out of the park. The Lakers should also be happy in this deal. They all got what they wanted. I will just say, I am more pumped to watch the Pelicans than the Lakers next year after this trade. They should be the more fun team to watch on League Pass.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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Make No Mistake, The Raptors Won the Title on Their Own

I was going to write more stuff about my trip today, but the Toronto Raptors did it last night. They won the NBA title. They beat Golden State, for the third time I might add, in Oracle to win in 6 games. I'm going to try my best to make this piece just about the Raptors also. I have a lot of thoughts about Golden State's future roster, but that will have to wait for next week as well.

As I was saying, the Raptors won their first title in franchise history last night, and they looked pretty damn good doing it. The team really came together in the last 4 games of the Milwaukee series, and that continued in the Finals. Whatever kind of "slump" that Fred Vanvleet was in, he busted out of it in a big way. Every time he took a shot last night, especially a three, I thought it was going in. He just couldn't miss. They needed him to step up last night, and this whole series, and boy did he ever. He also played some hellacious defense. He stopped and poked and prodded and annoyed Steph all series. Serge Ibaka seemed to regain his mid range shot in the last 2 games. He was also good at attacking the rim, grabbing big time offensive rebounds and blocking pretty much every shot that Boogie tried to put up at the rim. Marc Gasol, while almost non existent except for game one on offense, was great on the boards, passing the ball and with his help defense. He closed so fast and clean on the screens that were being set. It was great to see an old fashioned big man play that type of defense, especially because the Raptors needed him to do it. Kyle Lowry was tremendous in this series. I know he gets knocked a lot for his playoff play, but he was awesome in the Finals. He did all the little stuff in the first 5 games, be it taking charges, making the right pass, running the Warriors shooters off the three point line and getting to the rim and foul line. Then last night he came out on fire. He had 17 points in the first quarter. He was an absolute joy to watch. His play in this series, for me, erases all the choking and bad play in prior playoffs. Pascal Siakim was excellent as well. He made Draymond, the self appointed greatest defensive player ever, look silly at times. He constantly attacked him. He got to the rim with ease and he finished more times than not. Game one for Siakim was a clinic. He made 14 of 17 shots for 30 plus points. Last night, he was almost as good, and he was hitting threes. If he keeps this up, he is on his way to stardom. Even guys like Danny Green and Norman Powell made a huge difference. Powell was the instant offense they needed him to be off the bench, and he was also harassing every Warriors guard that he guarded. Green was shooting so poorly all playoffs, until the Finals. He hit some big time shots in this series. I know he had one flub that could have been costly, but outside of that, he looked like the Danny Green of old. Nick Nurse did one hell of a coaching job in the Finals. He outcoached Steve Kerr in every single facet of the series. He was outstanding. If this was a report card, he got straight A's. Masai Ujuri's gamble paid off, and then some. The 2 trades he made this year won him a title. People, Raptor fans, may have hated them at the time, but they love him now for doing that. He took a huge risk, and it totally paid off.

The final piece of this title, Kawhi Leonard was masterful throughout the playoffs. He did every single thing that was asked of him. When he needed to lock guys like Giannis or Ben Simmons or Aaron Gordon or Klay Thompson down, he did. When he needed to score, he scored plenty. When they needed a final shot, he took it with gusto and made it. When he was double and tripled teamed, he found the open shooter. When he got hurt, he came out and played like the injury didn't even bother him. When he needed to grab a big board, he got it. He was, dare I say, Jordanesque in these playoffs. I have not seen one player dominate as much as Kawhi did in the playoffs this year. At least not since Jordan. He is not Michael Jordan, but he evoked his play in the 2019 playoffs. He was absolutely amazing to watch. He did it all at such a high level, and he did it better than everyone else. He totally deserved the Finals MVP. I mean, who else could it have been. I hope he decides to stay with the Raptors because I think they can be a special team. But, I don't think anyone would blame him if he left. He won a title for that city. He was awesome.

I was very happy to see a new team win the title. I'm in no way a Warriors hater, but I do like to see different teams win sometimes. And the Raptors earned and beat the Warriors. Don't get that twisted. Don't throw the injuries in my face. The Warriors first title was against a Cavs team almost as depleted as this Warriors team. The Raptors outplayed and outcoached the Warriors at every position. I'm so stoked for the Raptors and the fans of Toronto. Congrats Raptors, you guys earned this title.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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Let's Talk About Swimming With Dolphins on My Vacation

hey buddy

Continuing my week of vacation memories today I want to talk about one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life.

So, in lieu of gifts for each other, my wife and I decided that the trip was going to be each others gift. But, when we got to the resort, we kept checking the pamphlets that were handed to us, and we both kept reading about one excursion that involved swimming with dolphins. I was intrigued. I love dolphins. They are so smart and cute and just an overall cool animal. My wife likes dolphins as well. She has always had an affinity for them. She just likes them. That is all. So we decided that we would do this dolphin swimming excursion on our actual anniversary, as kind of a second gift to each other.

We booked it, and the day came. Again, the service to getting there, the shuttle and what not, was second to none. Just wonderful. When we got to where we needed to be, it only got better from there. The workers at the dolphin swim spot were awesome. They put on a little show for all of us prior to the experience. We got to see the dolphins do tricks and see how fast they swim and see how they interacted with the trainers. It was so cool. I always have conflicted feelings about stuff like this, keeping wild animals locked up basically, but this was such a cool day, I kind of let that slide.

After the show we got split up into to groups, and each group went their separate ways. My wife and I signed up for an experience that, not only included the dolphin swim, but also let us pet and feed manatees. We went to the manatees first, and that was great. We got to pet them first, and it was wild. They are so slimy on top. The trainers told us it was from the algae in the water, and you could not only feel it, but also see it. They were go gentle, the manatees that is. The trainers then had them flip on their backs and we got to pet their stomachs. The stomach was so much smoother and it was almost like petting a dog. It was awesome. We then got to feed them. We each held up a piece of lettuce to our sides, and then the manatees kind of hugged us to get the lettuce. It was so odd and so cool. We then were handed some kind of veggie and we got to feed them directly in their mouths. Their mouths were so prickly yet gentle. It was neat. This was a great way to kick off the day.

After the manatees, it was the main event. We went to the dolphin area and started our lifelong memory experience. At first, we did this thing where we swam out to the middle of the water and water with our bodies in a T shape. The trainers made sure to tell us to keep our knees locked and feet straight when the dolphins approached. As they approached us, they started to push their noses into our feet, and we started to move. Then, as we got going faster, the trainer told us to stand up and arch our back. This is where the dolphins pushed us up in the air. It was exhilarating. I was so hyped while in the air. I absolutely loved this. They called it the foot push. It was incredible. Then, while we were waiting, we got to have a little one on one time with a single dolphin. Here we got to kiss the dolphin, have the dolphin kiss us, we got to dance with them and have them give us a high five. We also got to hold them like babies and feel their heart beat. It was glorious. While doing this we were also showed how to get the dolphins make noises. Stuff like rev a car or clapping sounds, it was amazing. After we all had the one on one time, my wife and I got to do a dual dorsal swim. In this part we swam out to the center of the pool again, and here we waited with our arms and palms facing backwards, and when the dolphins got to us, we grabbed onto their dorsal fins and they took us for a ride around the water. This was so neat. To feel the fin, and the dolphins strength, I was floored. This was so cool. The last thing we got to do was go out on a single person kayak, kayak around the water and get to an open spot. Here the trainers got the dolphins to come over to us on the kayak, told us to do so me random things and the dolphins clapped and pushed and rolled around us on the kayak. It was tremendous. It was second only, for me, to the foot push.

This whole dolphin swimming excursion was well worth the time and money. Hell, they even provided a free lunch buffet, where there was ceviche, along with everything else. I will always remember this as long as I live. We have no photographic evidence because pictures were far too expensive. But for me, I like that this was only for my wife and I, and the other people that were there that day. This is a thing I highly recommend everyone doing once in your life if you have the chance. It was so well run, safe and fun as can be. I loved it, and I will always have it in my memory. What a great day. Swimming with dolphins rules.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. At least the dolphins did not get sexually attracted to Ty like they did to Hank Hill. Yes, all of our life experiences have a connection to a cartoon.

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Let's Talk About the Great Food on My Vacation

Alright, I wrote about KD, now back to Mexico. What I want to talk about today is the delicious food that I ate on my trip. I have decided, in probably the last year, that Mexican food is my all time favorite. I come from an Italian and Polish family, and I love Italian and Polish food. But, Mexican food has ascended to a whole new level, especially when I started my Atkins diet. The fact that fajitas are just meat, cheese and veggies, assuming you don't eat the tortillas, it is an Atkins lovers dream dish. I also love carne asada, chicken with cheese, chorizo and huevos rancheros. All those are low carb, and all are Mexican dishes.

So, one of the biggest selling points for me in this recent trip was the food. And man oh man did Secrets Capri have some top of the line Mexican food. The buffet was filled with some of my favorite Mexican dishes. The first day for lunch the first thing I had was pork in a red chile sauce. It was dynamite. They were also serving tender chicken breast and thinly sliced steak. One of my all time favorite dishes is ceviche, and they had it in so many different preparations. The buffet, for lunch on the first day, had traditional, very lime centric, flavors. But they changed the veggies on other days, and sometimes, there was even a green sauce that accompanied it. There was a cabana right by the pool that served mainly ceviche and tacos. We had lunch there every other day on the trip. The choices of ceviche were limited, but they were the best. One was the perfect blend of spice and citrus. It was called the "Vallarta". Another was just straight up shrimp with a pink sauce. And one was mushroom forward, with the mushroom being the protein. It was amazing. Oh, and the tacos at this cabana, they absolutely ruled. They were so flavorful and scrumptious. They had fried shrimp or fish, which were my wife's favorite. They came with 2 nicely fried pieces of fish, a great slaw and a chipotle mayo. They were divine. They had a ribeye taco, which was basically a quesadilla with not much cheese was in the shell. Those were great. They had a shredded chicken taco that was simply just chicken and a green sauce. Those were near perfection. But the best ones, in my opinion, were the pork marinated tacos. These were so simple, yet so good. The tacos had a good helping of these juicy pork, and it was plopped on a proper corn shell. Then on the side they gave you a cup of pickled onions that had just the slightest touch of habanero pepper in it. It was so, so good. My mouth is watering thinking about those tacos as I write this. I expected the Mexican food to deliver, and it way exceeded my expectations. I mean, even the desserts, be it churros, or a fried piece of dough covered in honey and sesame seeds filled with pastry cream, was out of the park. My wife told me I had to mention the flan too. It was all good.

The restaurants within the resort were just as good. We went to a steak house one night. This was outstanding. I had a perfectly cooked sirloin steak, and my wife had a great looking piece if prime rib. We each had mushrooms and I had mac and cheese and she had some kind of veggie. It was all good, and served amazingly fast. We would get coffee and a pastry every morning from the café inside. They had a special latte everyday, and the breakfast pastries, and afternoon treats, were fantastic. One night we went to a very nice Italian restaurant. This place even had a dress code. The food was awesome. My wife and I shared one of the best caprese salads I have had, she had some excellent Portobello mushrooms as an appetizer, and our main courses, they were magnificent. My wife had some of the best, and most tender, osso bucco I have ever tried. I had shrimp wrapped in prosciutto that was out of this world. But, the best restaurant, in both of our opinions, was the seafood place. This was where we had our anniversary dinner. I had tuna tartar as my app, and it was some of the best I have ever eaten. My wife chose calamari, and it was perfectly fried and seasoned and the dipping sauce was excellent. We each had a soup, her going with the lobster bisque, which was sweet and delicious, and I went with a smashed asparagus soup. It was the best soup I've ever eaten. Hands down. Our main courses got even better. My wife had a grilled and charred salmon that fell apart beautifully and tasted like it had just come off the grill. I love that flavor. I had a rare tuna steak, that had a mashed white bean puree and caramelized onions on top. I savored every single bite. It was so, so, so good. I am still thinking about that piece of fish. That whole meal was absolutely wonderful.

As I said on Monday, Secrets Capri is a great resort, and these restaurants and buffet and café and cabana I mentioned today make it that much better. This was one of, if not the, best food I have eaten on a vacation. It was tremendous.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Growing up in a Polish-Italian family had it’s share of culinary adventures. Ever have polish sausage in a cannoli?

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing. 

This New KD Injury Sucks Again

I stated yesterday that I was going to talk about the many things I enjoyed about my recent vacation unless something wild happened in other pop culture stuff that I write about, and we had the KD incident during game 5 last night. I have to give my thoughts on this today.

First off, I was one of the people that did not think he was going to play at all in the Finals, and I still thought the Warriors would win, with ease I might add, without him. After he grabbed at his calf, without being touched by anyone, I just assumed it was much worse than a strained calf. I had feared for him that he tore his ACL. You usually don't see an athlete grab at a part of their body, untouched, and it is as simple as a strain. That is usually a sign of something much worse. So, when he missed the rest of the Rockets series, and didn't play at all in the West Finals, I just assumed they were going to sit him out, and that he would sit out to save himself for free agency. The Warriors were also clicking insanely well, as I wrote about after the West Finals, and I just assumed this was going to be the end of the KD Warriors as we knew them.

Well, the Raptors had other ideas. They came out like a wrecking ball in game one of the Finals. They looked locked and loaded. Kawhi was, and still is, playing at a whole other level. The Raptors beat the Warriors, but Golden State came back and won game 2. Then they looked really, really bad, at home, in games 3 and 4. Steph was trying to draw fouls instead of just shooting the ball. Klay would come and go, and his defense was inconsistent. Draymond was a turnover machine. Kevon Looney, who was playing well, broke his clavicle I believe. Boogie Cousins was even more inconsistent than Klay. And their team defense was just horrendous. They didn't just get beat in games 3 and 4, they got schooled. The Raptors were beating them at their own game, and they were making it look clinical.

So, after game 4, in which the Raptors simply destroyed the Warriors, especially in the third quarter, the rumors started to swirl that KD may play. Then, he was cleared for practice on Sunday. When I saw that I was kind of stunned. I mean, he hadn't played in over a month, all the reports that were coming out prior had said that he couldn't fully participate in all the drills, he wasn't playing 3 on 3 or 5 on 5 games. It was all bad news. So, when he got cleared, I shook off the initial shock and I then realized he was going to play in game 5 no matter what. I assumed this was going to be the modern Willis Reed moment, look it up. But, he came out and he made his first 2 three pointers. He then dove on the floor for loose balls. He was playing okay defense. He didn't look fully healthy, but he looked a hell of a lot better than I expected. He scored 11 points in the first, and I just assumed he was back. Then, while making a simple move early in the second, he immediately lost the ball and clutched at the back of his already injured leg. This time though, it was higher up. I said out loud, "OH NO". This was the absolute worst possible scenario I could think of for the Warriors, but more importantly, KD. This was the biggest fear, and it was coming clear to all of us watching the game that he was hurt, and he should not have been out on that court last night.

Now, I do want to say, for all the guff I have given KD since joining the Warriors, I take it all back. For him to come out and give it a go last night was amazing. He sacrificed himself for his team. He knew that they needed him, and he went out there, even though he wasn't even close to being healthy. You could see the lift he gave the Warriors just by being on the floor. He is a true basketball player. I gained so much more respect after seeing him out there last night. I don't blame him one bit for wanting to play. He went there to win titles, and when his team had their backs against the wall, he played even though he knew he wasn't fully ready. This is the case with most high caliber athletes. They want to play, and if they feel ready, good luck telling them no.

Who I blame for this horrendous, and preventable injury, is the Warriors team doctors, front office and Steve Kerr. Kerr, above anyone else, should have known that he wasn't ready. He was a former player. He has been around KD for three years now. He knows the toll winning multiple titles takes on the body. Yet, he still let him play last night. I think he has gotten so greedy with his titles that he was willing to look past his best overall player clearly injured, and he put him in the game knowing he could further injure himself. Kerr has also been wildly outcoached in this series, and I think he supposed putting KD in might mask that. As far as the owners, I think they realize this is probably the last shot with this current team, so they threw caution aside, and safety, and told the team they needed to play KD last night. They too are greedy, they are leaving Oakland, and they are most likely losing KD. So, they decided that they needed to throw him out there for one last hurrah. They don't play, they are just rich Silicon Valley guys, and I'm sure they figured he has had enough time off. They had to have had a say in him playing last night. Also, the fact that team doctors cleared him to play last night is appalling to me. As I said, he was making shots and diving her and there, but you could see he wasn't fully right. He wasn't slashing and cutting to the rim. He was shooting set shots. He couldn't move very well laterally on defense. He was clearly not even close to 100 percent. It is disgusting that team doctors cleared him last night. I cannot believe, at this high a level of basketball, that some people with their PHD's decided that he was okay to play high level NBA basketball. I hope those doctors are losing sleep now that this has happened.

This is a real bummer. This is so much worse than what happened in the series against the Rockets. This was on display for all to see last night. Again, I do not blame KD one bit. He is a basketball player. But, for all those other people I mentioned, to put him out there, that is a drag man. He now, and there is no official word yet, has probably a year of recovery time before he gets back to being KD. That is a shame. I wish him a speedy recovery, but it didn't have to be like this. This didn't have to happen. What a bummer.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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Let's Talk About My Great Vacation

Hello all, I am back from my week long vacation. It was a glorious, and much needed, week away from all my work and priorities. For this week I am going to touch on some of the things I did while I was on vacation, unless some wild stuff happens in the sports or music or movie or TV world. Today I want to take the time to talk about the wonderful resort my wife booked for us for this vacation.

I live in a world where I am comfortable. We have the means and ability to stay in all inclusive resorts when we go on a vacation like this. No, I am not a rich man, far, far from it, but my family is fine. This is not a brag either. We are just in a solid place financially. I felt like that needed to be said.

For this trip my wife and I decided we wanted to go to Mexico again. We went there on our honeymoon, for our 5 year anniversary, and last Thursday, we celebrated our 10 year anniversary. Mexico seems to be our place for these celebrations. We have stayed in a different spot each time. This time we stayed in Secrets Capri in Cancun, near Riviera Maya.

This resort was top notch. First off, it was adults only, and not in a perverted way. We did not go to Hedonism. This wasn't an "Eye's Wide Shut" scenario. The adults only simply meant that you had to be, at least, 21 years old. This was great. I love, love, love my kids. But, I am with them all day everyday. There is only so much Pokémon or "My Little Pony" I can take though. So, to go to a resort where you have to be 21, it was paradise. Everyone at this resort seemed to be either newlyweds or people celebrating an anniversary. There was a lot in common with the other guests. That made it so easy to talk to people. I am not one for "vacation friends". But, I do like to talk to people while eating at an open buffet, and it is much easier when you have stuff in common with those people. That is how Secrets Capri was. It was tremendous. The staff was outstanding. I cannot say enough good things about the employees. They were on the ball with everything. From the moment we stepped off the shuttle, the workers were there with a cold towel that smelled great. It was such a tremendous personal touch. The help we got to get our room was excellent. The restaurants, which I will go very in depth on more later this week, had some of the greatest waiters and hostesses I have ever had a personal encounter with. The room we had was super comfy, and the staff was there to clean everyday at 2pm. I could set my watch to it. We did an excursion, got back at 2, the room wasn't quite ready, so we went to the beach for awhile, and after an hour, our room was spotless. The access to the beach was so easy. I went everyday, swam in the ocean and ran on the beach with almost too much ease. Also, they had people there everyday to clean out the seaweed that was coming in from deeper in the water. The beach was spotless by our final day. The pool was perfect. They had umbrellas everywhere for those of us that didn't want to get sunburned. For those that wanted to get tan, the pool was totally uncovered. They did water aerobics and played games and had some kind of activity in the pool that was super fun. The pool bar was great. I would swim up, get my wife a drink and myself a bottle of water, and the bartender was on the money. His name was Juan, and he was amazing. By the end of the week he knew I wanted water and my wife wanted Malibu and pineapple juice. That impressed the hell out of me. The shows, and nighttime entertainment was fantastic. They did a whole show on the Mayan history on Friday night, and it ruled. They also had an awesome Beatles cover band that included a Cirque de Soleil show. They also had an Il Divo cover band that was good. It was nice.

I was super impressed with pretty much everything that Secrets Capri had to offer. My wife and I have even said that when we go back, and we will most definitely be going back, Secrets Capri will be hard to beat. I highly recommend, if you are going the all inclusive route for your next trip, book a Secrets trip. It was an amazing experience that I will not soon forget. It was awesome.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Next time Ty heads down to Mexico he is going to the Pacific Coast. There is nothing he likes more than the smell of tequila and the smell of others puking that tequila up.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing. 

The Definitive Top 10 Little Debbie's Snacks

Growing up in the 1980’s and 90’s meant that your house probable had a few different boxes of Little Debbie treats. We would get one after playing outside, have a box handy when we played games with our friends, and definitely had one in our school lunches as our nutritionally mandated dessert. My lunches always consisted of a sandwich with mustard and one piece of Carl Budding ham, a baggie of chips, some form of fruit, a Mendota Springs, and a Little Debbie. That overtly sweet snack cake was the highlight of my entire school day.

Today I am feeling a bit nostalgic and thought it was high time we gave a definitive ranking of what are the ten best Little Debbie treats from my youth. I know there are some new treats in the collection of Little Debbies, but I did not have those in my lunches. If it came out after 1993, I did not eat it. Also there will be no “rolled” cakes on here. The rolled cakes suck, as do the Banana Twins and any marshmallow pie. Take my advice and skip those boxes.

Remember this is the definitive list. We have performed super science to get the correct rankings. Don’t agree? Come at us.

10. Pecan Pie

The mini pecan pie in the tiny aluminum tin is hard to find these days, but it does still exist. Many people hate this extremely sweet and sticky creation. Those people are wrong. The pecan pie has it’s problems (the sticky and sweet parts) but it was always a treat to gulp down a whole round pie in two or three bites. Just make sure you have some Mendota Springs to wash all that sweetness down.

9. PB Crunch

The PB Crunch was like a lower grade peanut butter Twix. Cookie, peanut butter and chocolate, plus the Twix like shape could confuse anyone’s eyes. While the peanut butter Twix is super deliciousness, the PB Crunch had a little blandness. Yet, peanut butter and chocolate can never be a total disaster.

8. Caramel Cookie Bar

Another Twix clone but switch the peanut butter for caramel. Also the shape was flat and not long and slender like the PB Crunch. The caramel was mildly gooey, and could mess up your nice Izod shirt with the popped collar, but was still a decent end to a balanced meal.

7. Cosmic Brownies

Many people are more familiar with the Walnut version of Little Debbie brownies, but if you got the candy sprinkled top of the cosmic variation, you were in luck. The brownie itself is another love it or hate concoction. It was more of a fudge like consistency and a fairly mild chocolate taste. Add the thick frosting (usually half the damn thing) and the colorful candies, the Cosmic Brownie was a faux chocolate delight.

6. Fudge Rounds

Here is where you start getting into some of all time great Little Debbie treats. The Fudge Round had a great cake top and bottom, and an awesome low grade chocolate moose in the middle. All parts of the Fudge Round tasted amazing, it just usually suffered from not enough the middle part. Many times that filling only covered half the cake sandwich. Little Debbie needs to do better.

5. Zebra Cakes

The two square cakes that come in the plastic package have many different versions. There are fancy, chocolate, and a variety of seasonal offerings. The OG Zebra Cake has them all beat. You can actually taste the chocolate and vanilla together. When you sit and peel the cake apart, outstanding. Pulling pieces of frosting off and unwrapping the cake was like a zen ritual to get you through the rest of the school day.

4. Oatmeal Creme Pie

I am not that big of a fan of oatmeal as my cereal or my cookie, yet the Oatmeal Creme Pie is all kinds of awesome. The grittiness of the top and bottom cookie combined with the ample amount of creme in the center is a tactile and taste sensation your tongue will thank you for.

3. Cherry Cordial

For some reason the Cheery Cordial seems to be a seasonal offering (Valentines Day I think?). That is not right because this is hands down a culinary masterpiece. You have another cake sandwich with a creme like filling. This time it is a cherry filling, vanilla type cake, and the entire thing is encased in a chocolate shell. The edges are always have a little more crunch than the center, and it is glorious. This needs to be a year round thing.

2. Nutty Buddy

Peanut butter and chocolate are almost perfect. Add a couple layers of wafer cookies, and Little Debbie achieved near perfection. The Nutty Buddy is better than most candy bars, that is how good this thing is. It is another one of Little Debbie’s offerings that ask you to take the treat apart. Peeling layer after layer of cookie, peanut butter, and chocolate is the near perfect end to any meal. There is almost no equal to this delight.

1. Star Crunch

The Star Crunch not only equals the Nutty Buddy, it surpasses it. The caramel is not overly gooey, the cookie is the perfect balance of crunchy and chewy, the crisp rice adds and extra pop to every bite, and the chocolate brings the whole package together in one of mankind’s finest creations. The Star Crunch is a perfect dessert for any occasion. There is no snack cake/treat equal to the Star Crunch. It is quite simply the greatest Little Debbie ever made.

There it is, the definitive rankings of the ten best Little Debbie treats of my school days. You can not go wrong with any of these ten delights. One’s day is made all the better when devouring these creations. Now it is time for us all to go out and revisit some of the sweetness of our youth. I may just go and house an entire box of Star Crunch’s when I’m done writing here.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. 

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

These NBA and NHL Finals are About Respect

Bring it home Blues

Have you been paying attention to the NBA and NHL Finals? You should because things are getting quite crazy. Going into the 2019 version of the NBA and the NHL Stanley Cup finals the narrative was about inevitability. Now that the games are being played, the narrative is changing.

The story in the NBA was about the last hurrah for the super powered Golden State Warriors. Nothing was going to stop this dynasty soon destined to be broken up due to free agency. Steph, Klay, and Draymond started it all, but Kevin Durant was going to bring them another championship on his way out the door. Even after KD got hurt, the Warriors still seemed unbeatable. The Raptors have the awesomeness of Kawhi, but not much else. Many reputable experts picked the series not to go longer than five games with Golden State being victorious. The narrative was about the dominance of Golden State, and there was no respect afforded to the road that Toronto forged to the finals.

Right now the Toronto Raptors have a two games to one lead in the best of seven series. If the series does indeed go five games, it will be Drake dancing along the sideline. The Raptors have relied on Kawhi, and they should because he is great, but the rest of the team has been pulling more than their own weight. Add the effort of the Raptors to the injuries on Golden State, Toronto is taking their chances. In all three games the Raptors have outplayed Golden State ten of twelve quarters. Yes KD would probably make a difference, but he is not there. Toronto is earning respect by not backing down from the unbeatable Warriors. The Raptors may turn that respect into an actual title. That would be crazy.

Over in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, the St. Louis Blues keep trading punches with the dominant Boston Bruins and the series is now tied 2-2. On a side note, I know a lot about the Blues and their playoff struggles. I grew up in St. Louis and watched many of a hockey game. Growing up I saw guys like Scott Stevens and Brett Hull become superstars, only they then leave St. Louis and win Stanley cups in new cities. The Blues made the playoffs almost every year I lived in St. Louis, and they almost never made it out of the first round. Now they have made it and they are taking their chance.

In this current version of the Stanley Cup Finals, Boston is the team built for championships, St. Louis is the team built in hopes of making the playoffs and getting hot. Well, St. Louis got hot. Yet like the Las Vegas Golden Knights of last years Stanley Cup finals, the Blues are not losing that winning feel. The Blues are making sure that Boston, and the rest of the hockey loving community, know that they are in this thing to win the cup and finally hoist it under the Gateway Arch. The Blues are earning respect.

The series are still young, and a lot can still happen, but the Toronto Raptors and St. Louis Blues came into their respective championship series as afterthoughts. They are not being looked over anymore. Toronto and St. Louis know that by winning just a few more games, they can change the narrative. What was once a nice story can become a tale of legend.

The Raptors and Blues have earned our respect in these finals. They just may end up earning their first title along with it.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. 

Is this the first time SeedSing has written about hockey? What’s next, Ty’s views on Major League Soccer?

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Last Generation Gamer: Zelda II: The Adventures of Link

Last Generation Gamer is Seed Sings way of reflecting on the greatest video games that were released before the current gen systems.  These are not necessarily reviews.  Let's look at these thoughts as a walk down memory lane.  If you have any ideas for Last Generation Gamer contact us seedsing.rdk@gmail.com

It is without question that the Legend of Zelda series of games are some of the most iconic and beloved in the history of all video gaming. The latest entry, Breath of the Wild, has already been heralded as one of the greatest games ever made. The first game introduced revolutionary concepts most games did not adopt until very recently. From the very first gold cartridge to today’s open world marvel, the games that start with The Legend of Zelda in their title are sure fire masterpieces.

It almost was not that way. After the runaway success of The Legend of Zelda, the sequel soon followed. Zelda II was released in Japan in early 1987 and followed to America in late 1988. The game was a huge smash, selling out and being generally well reviewed. All seemed right with the new series of games.

Yet initial success did not help the legacy of Zelda II. If you look up the worst games in the series, Zelda II is regularly listed as the worst one Nintendo ever introduced. Yes, there were the three terrible games licensed to Phillips for their 3DO system. Outside of a terrible cartoon series, those games are not considered by anyone to be part of the Nintendo series of games. When it comes to the “main” games, Zelda II is not held in the same high esteem of any of the other games in the series.

Why such a critical fall from grace? For starters Zelda II is very different than the original. The split between a top down world and a side scroller is not found in any other game in the series. Also, Zelda II is a hard game. The game introduced leveling up by getting experience points, and those experience points take a long time to acquire. The game gives you three lives, another thing not seen in any other Zelda game, and if you lose all three lives, you lose all of the experience you gained. And believe me you needed those three lives. The games monsters also require some wait and see strategy. No barreling through enemies because you are just way too strong, Zelda II made you stop and think. Many times you would need all three lives just to test out strategies to get past a few levels of a dungeon. Once you figured out the right strategy on your last life, you died and have to start again. To make it sting even more, no matter where you lost your last life, you will begin the game right back at where you started in the very beginning. Zelda II added to the tradition known as “Nintendo Hard”.

Zelda II does not deserve the disdain time has given the game. Yes it is hard, but so what. It was so different from the first game, yet added to the charm of the series. The towns became alive, the world of Hyrule was ripe for new exploration, and the hero Link was as awesome as ever. He could jump up and stab downward, how awesome. Zelda II was a huge leap forward in concept and execution than it’s older sibling, and both games lived on the same system. Zelda II was a triumph of it’s time.

It is extremely easy to play the very difficult Zelda II: The Adventures of Link these days. The mini NES that came out a few years ago has it (that is how I am replaying it right now), and it is part of the Nintendo Switch Online catalog of games. The Switch catalog even has an easier version where Link already has many of his power ups and spells. So go find this lost gem and get exploring. Once you get over the frustration of having to play a challenging game, you will find that Zelda II deserves a place of respect in our pantheon of awesome vintage video games. Get to it, princess Zelda needs saving, again.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Up next? Why Kid Icarus of course.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

So Long iTunes and Thanks for Changing Music

It is finally time to say good bye to iTunes.

Well not really.

Yes Apple is going to get rid of the iTunes app with the newest version of macOS, but all of your music/movies/television shows will just move over to Apple Music and Apple TV. It will be like it already is on one’s iPhone. If you do not have an iPhone, you will still use iTunes. Easy enough.

Since many news outlets are talking about the end of iTunes, let’s reflect on the importance of the little .99 cent music store that could. When iTunes hit the market I was wondering what I was going to do with all of my “illegally” downloaded music from Napster. I had a bunch of cds that were burned into my computer, but my Napster library was filled with some of my favorite songs that came from groups and/or albums I did not care for. I wanted to enjoy “It’s Raining Men” without having to purchase the whole Weather Girls EP. With Napster dying, Apple came in and let me buy my guilty pleasures, and it would only cost me 99 cents. Napster was free, but free was illegal, so Apple came in with a solution to my problems.

For a time iTunes changed music much in the same way that radio in the 1950’s and MTV in the 1980’s changed how we consumed the art form. Radio is nearly dead and MTV is now more of a legend, iTunes will follow those innovators into our collective memories. It is now time for history to be the place we talk about iTunes.

Like so many other things that Apple innovates, the competition was trying to come up with cheaper and more efficient ways to topple the giant from Cupertino. Microsoft came up with a few options (Zune and Groove we barely knew thee), lala came and went without much notice, Rhapsody tried to fill the Napster void with confusing software, and Amazon was starting to peek around the corner. In the end iTunes was king, until there was a new way to get our music.

Free was once again the dagger that went for Apple’s money making heart. When streaming services like Pandora and Spotify started to become popular, iTunes was not able to compete. The new streaming services on the block were free (with ads), iTunes was not. The new streaming services could be curated so a person could create a free radio station with the music of their choice. iTunes could only make playlists from the music you purchased. iTunes changed the music landscape with a pay per song model, the landscape was changed once again with streaming. iTunes was now being left behind.

Ironically it seems like Apple’s own streaming service (one you must pay for) will be the thing that puts the final nail into the iTunes coffin. The masses have moved on to the streaming services. Also you can now buy almost any song from Amazon for the same cost at Apple. It is more likely you will buy that mp3 from Amazon because you are already on the site buying everything else. Apple does not sell everything else. Many times you can buy a physical copy of an album, i.e. CD or vinyl, and Amazon will give you the mp3 version for free. iTunes was not the future path forward, and Apple knows it.

Like the innovators before, iTunes deserves our praise. Let’s all pour one out for the little 99 cent music store that could. So long iTunes, you made it ok for me to buy my favorite hits of the late 1970’s in a judgement free zone. I salute you.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is now wondering if Apple is going to reinvent the world of monitor stands. I think not, that is one to many 9s.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Long Live the Gun

Here we go again.

On Friday twelve people were killed by a madman with gun. Eleven of the twelve victims were public employees for the city of Virginia Beach, the other victim was a contractor working in the building at the time of the massacre. All twelve victims died from wounds related to being shot with a gun.

So far we do not know why this madman killed these twelve people. We do know the gunman used a .45 caliber handgun equipped with a suppressor (aka silencer) and was using extended ammunition clips. It is uncertain why the murderer used the suppressor, it does not truly silence a gun like the movies tell us, but the expended magazines were there so the gunman could reload less and kill more. The last thing we know for certain is that this madman killed twelve people with a gun.

Immediately after the massacre, political talking heads dug in and started to scream their positions on gun control. One person on the left says the massacre could have been avoided if we had tougher gun laws. Within seconds, hundreds of right wing zealots scream about politicizing the gun issue in the wake of tragedy. Trying to make sense of the tragedy is now impossible because the screaming match going on in our political culture is all about the decidedly not human gun.

It is time to accept the fact that everyone who talks about gun violence after a tragedy is wrong. Stricter gun laws are not going to bring back the twelve people who died on Friday, or the thousands who have died in the years previous due to gun violence. Screaming about people politicizing a tragedy means you are also politicizing the same tragedy. Everyone is wrong, we need new ideas.

The kids who survived the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are showing the pro gun control work how to make change. These kids are not letting the issue go, like so many politicians before them. They are tireless advocates, powerful spokespersons, and the generation that will soon be running our country. Watch the Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school kids.

On the other side we need to look for the truly responsible gun owner, not the ones who blindly follow what ever the NRA is trying to sell. Listen to an avid hunter make their case for gun rights, it usually does not include the right for someone to have a pistol that holds over 20 bullets per clip. Watch for the thoughtful gun owner.

In the end we do not listen to the groups we should. We would rather let the same people yell the same things over and over again and just hope no one we love gets gunned down in a senseless massacre. That is why nothing ever changes. Now the families of Laquita C. Brown, Tara Welch Gallagher, Alexander Mikhail Gusev', Mary Louise Gayle, Katherine A. Nixon, Richard H. Nettleton, Christopher Kelly Rapp, Ryan Keith Cox, Joshua A. Hardy, Michelle "Missy" Langer, Robert "Bobby" Williams, and Herbert "Bert" Snelling need to mourn and bury their loved ones. Those twelve people were killed by a madman with a gun. All twelve died because of a gunshot.

They are gone.

The gun is ok.

Long live the gun.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. 

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